Detroit Pistons, restoration company donate $25K to city gym restoration project
For all the basketball stars out there in metro Detroit, get ready to lace up your shoes. A project intended to give a haven for athletes to play is currently underway, and it’s being supported by the city’s very own Detroit Pistons.
The Detroit Pistons and Belfor Property Restoration presented Ceciliaville with a check for $25,000 on Wednesday toward its effort to create a state-of-the-art gym and community center at the site of the former St. Cecilia Catholic Church in northwest Detroit. The check presentation took place at The Saint Gym on Stearns Avenue in Detroit.
According to the Ceciliaville website, St. Cecilia Catholic Church was founded in 1921. The parish’s high school closed in 1967 and was converted into a recreational center, which is known as Ceciliaville today.
Dave Bing, retired NBA basketball player and mayor of Detroit from 2009-14, said he got his start at Ceciliaville in 1967, a year after being drafted by the Pistons.
"I’m probably the first professional player to play here back in 1967 and I’ve had great memories. There are other guys that are here and being recognized today," he said. "I saw every one of those guys play since they were in high school. Not only do we have a lot in common about basketball, but now we’re friends, we’re friends for life.”
Bing said the space used to be well-maintained but has gone downhill in recent years.
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“When I got into politics and became the mayor of the city, I was all over this city," he said. "This place has really gone down over the years because nobody invested and paid attention to it."
Earl Cureton, who played three seasons with the Pistons from 1983-86, agreed, but said the renovation would bring positive change.
“Our young players got a chance to rub elbows with the pros. They’d watch them on television during the season, come to St. Cecilia, and be able to see them during the off-seasons," Cureton said. "(The goal is) to bring something like that back where guys can come in here and work out can be an asset to our youth.”
The facility would support those in the area near St. Charles Lwanga Parish in Detroit’s Russell Woods and Nardin Park neighborhoods, according to a news release.
Sheldon Yellen, CEO of Belfor, said the renovations will be ongoing for some time. The initial phase of the project will tackle issues on the mechanical side, not visible to the everyday person, he said. However, they hope to see the building start to be utilized sometime during the summer.
It is also intended to be much more than a simple gym restoration. The goal is to create a usable gym in addition to classroom spaces, career training opportunities, and a functional kitchen.
Cureton said the idea is to preserve the history of the space while making positive changes moving forward.
“It’s like Rocky going back to his old gym. This is the old school; this is how we used to do it up in here," he said. "This place right here has got so much history, just to walk in here you can feel the strength of the building.”
Bing said, “It’s a place that they can call home. A place where, once it’s done, they can be proud of because it’s going to change this community."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons, restoration company donate $25K to Ceciliaville project
